GM's Cruise Partners With Microsoft Because Carmakers Can't Go It Alone Anymore Image: Cruise The pursuit of autonomous cars has brought auto manufacturers and tech companies closer together than ever. Microsoft and General Motors, strange bedfellows though they might’ve been a decade or two ago, are now partnering to put Cruise’s robotaxis on the road. Advertisement On Tuesday, Microsoft announced a contribution to a $2 billion investment round that also included funding from GM and Honda, placing Cruise’s total valuation at $30 billion. GM acquired Cruise in 2016; since then, the self-driving research startup has grown from 40 employees to almost 2,000, according to the Financial Times.